PHOENIX, Arizona — As baseball fans around the world geared up for the Sixth World Baseball Classic, eight members of the Cuban team, along with their pitching coach and other support personnel, were denied visas to come to the United States. As a result, just 11 players were left to face a roster of 37 from the Kansas City Royals on March 3, 2026, and 33 from the Cincinnati Reds the following day. The Los Angeles Hands Off Cuba Committee (LAHOC), together with 5 affiliated Cuba solidarity committees in other cities, has been spearheading a campaign to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee to demand that all athletes be allowed to compete. The Trump administration’s policy is a direct violation of the IOC charter and is especially egregious as Washington prepares to host the games.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/44405034

March 10, 2026

PHOENIX, Arizona — As baseball fans around the world geared up for the Sixth World Baseball Classic, eight members of the Cuban team, along with their pitching coach and other support personnel, were denied visas to come to the United States. As a result, just 11 players were left to face a roster of 37 from the Kansas City Royals on March 3, 2026, and 33 from the Cincinnati Reds the following day.

The visa denials were a blow not just to the Cuban team, which was forced to play at a considerable competitive disadvantage; this was a blow to baseball fans across the board. And it ran counter to the goodwill of Major League Baseball and the organizers of the Classic, which draws together talent from around the globe.

The basis for the visa denial was simple; under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, Washington can deny visas to individuals from countries that it holds under sanctions. On January 29, the White House issued an executive order calling Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” This designation was the basis used by the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump to blockade ships carrying oil to Cuba and threaten to impose tariffs on any country daring to sell oil to the Caribbean nation.